Friday, February 17, 2012

Rockets game notes vs. Hitmen

Tonight’s Preview: The Kelowna Rockets look at snapping a five game winless streak (0-3-1-1) tonight when they host the Calgary Hitmen. The Rockets haven’t won in regulation time since a 4-1 decision in Prince George on February 4th. On home ice, the Rockets are winless in four games and haven’t won in regulation time in eight straight. The last regulation win on home ice came in a 5-2 win against Spokane on January 4th. The Rockets are playing game two of a three game home stand. The Red Deer Rebels pay a visit tomorrow night before the Rockets head to Alberta for a four game road trip. The Rockets are in Edmonton Wednesday, Lethbridge next Friday, Medicine Hat Saturday and Calgary Sunday. The Rockets have points in 16 of their last 21 road games (11-5-1-4). Overall, the Rockets are 10-7-1-2 in their last 20 games. Oddly enough, the Rockets have just two regulation wins (2-9-0-1 and two shootout wins) in their last 14 games at Prospera Place.

Who’s Hot: Adam Brown is 4-2-1-1 in his last eight starts….The Rockets have a power play goal in five of their last seven road games (7 for 25 or 28%)...Shane McColgan has 3+7=10 in his last ten games while Carter Rigby has four goals in his last six games.

This and That: The Rockets have 287 regular season home ice wins since Prospera Place/Skyreach Place opened in the fall of 1999…From 2002 to 2006, the Rockets lost just 18 of 140 regular season home games….Shane McColgan plays in his 200th career WHL game tonight….McColgan has 24 power play assists, one shy of league leader Kevin Sundher of the Brandon Wheat Kings…. Brett Lyon returns to the line-up tonight after serving a six game suspension for a high hit on Prince George forward Jarrett Fontaine in a 2-1 win February 3rd….Jesse Astles is a game time decision tonight after missing 18 games with an upper body injury. Astles hasn’t played since a game January 6th in Victoria….In eight of their last eleven games the Rockets have been involved in a one goal game…The Rockets have 7 road games remaining and 7 on home ice … Last season the Rockets played in six shootout games. This season the Rockets have been involved in a league high eleven games that required a shootout. The Rockets are 6 and 5 in those eleven shootout situations… The Rockets have two 20+ goal scorers this season. Colton Sissons (26) and Brett Bulmer (22) lead the charge. Last season the team had five 20+ goal scorers…Fourteen of Colton Sissons 26 goals have been scored on the road this season…Brett Lyon has 2+2=4 in eleven games with the Rockets….Defenceman Myles Bell has 30 points this season. Twenty of those points have been recorded on the road…Four members of the Kelowna Rockets are rated in NHL Central Scouting's mid-term rankings. Captain Colton Sissons is ranked 14th among North American skaters for this summer’s draft. Teammate Damon Severson is rated 46th, rookie defenceman Cole Martin is ranked 146th and Colton Heffley (191) is also rated. …The Rockets were 3-5-0-2 in ten games with head coach Ryan Huska at the World Junior Hockey Championships…In twelve of their last fifteen wins, the Rockets have given up two or less goals per game…The Rockets are 17-14-2-5 with Brett Bulmer in the line-up….Tyrell Goulbourne leads the team with 15 fighting majors. Mitchell Chapman has nine….The Rockets are 1-10-1-1 when giving up five or more goals…Last season they gave up five or more goals in ten games…The Rockets have been involved in 30-one goal games this season. The Rockets are 14-8-3-5 in those thirty games….The Rockets are playing their 1499th regular season game tonight and will hit the 15 hundred mark when they host Red Deer tomorrow night…Birthdays in February. Carter Rigby turns 18 on February 20th while Spencer Main turns 20 on February 27th…Only Zach Franko has played in all 58 regular season games this season…The Rockets have been shut out three times this season. Calgary (2-0), Kootenay (4-0) and Seattle (2-0) have shut out the Rockets on home ice.

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